pastingDar Al Ber Society (DABS), with the help of philanthropists here, has organised a free Umrah trip, worth Dh123,200, for 136 indigent people and low-income workers with government and private entities.

The religious land journey, the 9th in three years, included, for the first time, a group of 23 new Muslim converts of the Islamic Information Centre, a leading division of Dar Al Ber.

The 37-year-old Society has accordingly dispatched nine free Umrah trips for the benefit of 956 poor people, mainly blue-collar workers in three years against a total spend of Dh1,226,530.

H.E. Abdullah bin Zayed, Executive Director of Dar Al Ber Society, said the participants had a chance to visit a number of holy sites in Makkah and Madinah as well during the nine-day journey. “These included the Qibaa mosque, Uhod battle martyrs, Arafat, Mina, and Muzdalifa.”

The pioneering scheme, themed: ‘lifetime Umrah’, is run by the Zakat and Seasonal Projects Department at the Society in collaboration with the ‘Heavens Gates’ live radio programme being broadcast every Friday by the Noor Dubai Radio, he added.

“Only those who have not performed Haj or Umrah and are financially incapable are entitled for the free trip accompanied by a delegation of staff scholars, preachers and administrative executives.”

The Society in a bid to develop the awareness of participants, particularly new Muslims, organised them a number of lectures on the rulings of Umrah in Arabic and Urdu and gave a detailed presentation on the trip itinerary at its headquarters on the Shaikh Zayed road, Bin Zayed elaborated.

“The attendees were enlightened on how to properly perform Umrah, and were also educated about the benefits, values, and lessons behind the spiritually uplifting journey.”

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was reported as saying: ‘The performance of Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous Umrah; and the reward of accepted Haj is nothing but paradise’, he underlined.